Some modern portable devices (e.g., laptop computers, mobile phones, digital cameras, video cameras, media players, personal digital assistants (PDAs), game consoles) include battery packs. A particular type of battery pack includes one or more battery cells coupled to one or more integrated circuit (IC) chips. The chips typically include a controller (e.g., a microcontroller) and circuitry and provide, among other things, battery cell management and protection.
Some battery packs include a Li-ion (Lithium ion) battery cell, which is essentially a volatile chemical reaction packaged inside a cylinder or other enclosure. Potential energy is stored in each cell, and if the battery cell is exposed to conditions outside of its specification the cell can over heat, catch fire or explode. Some battery packs configured with these volatile cells include protection circuitry for detecting unsafe conditions (e.g., charge or discharge over-currents, short circuits), and for taking corrective action to prevent damage to the battery cell and/or device, and to protect the end user.